Skip to content

Turn a photo or scan into text

Get editable text from a photo, PDF or scanned page.

Get editable text from a photo, PDF or scanned page. The tools below run on your computer. Most of them are free, and the work stays on your machine.

ScanWriting

Works offline · Free options

Easiest way to start

LM Studio + Qwen2.5-VL 7B

A friendly desktop app with a model browser and a chat window.

Will it run on my computer?

Check my computer
8 shown

Most tools here are free.

How to do it in 3 steps

  1. Install LM Studio from its official guide: LM Studio's app guide.
  2. Open the Qwen2.5-VL 7B page and check the traffic light for a few kinds of computer.
  3. Follow that official guide. This site does not add its own install steps.

Questions

Does this upload my files?
No. The tools on this page are meant to run on your computer.
What does it cost?
Most options are free. A few apps are a one-time purchase, and a few models need a computer with more memory.
What if it will not fit?
Use Check my computer, or turn on the lighter memory filters. A red light on the model page means the file is too big.

Not into local AI? Try these instead

Ordinary apps for writing. The links use a placeholder referral code and may pay us.

  • Scrivener

    A long-form writing desk for drafts, chapters, and research notes.

    Scrivener · #ad

  • Ulysses

    A focused writing app for essays, posts, and books on a Mac.

    Ulysses · #ad

  • Hemingway Editor

    An editor that flags long sentences and dense wording.

    Hemingway Editor · #ad

Related tasks